Seven Missing after Ship Sinks in Black Sea

Up to 7 crewmembers remain missing after the Panama-flagged general cargo ship Geroi Arsenala sank in the Black sea on April 19, according to Russia’s Ministry of Emergency Situations.

At the time of the incident, the vessel was carrying 12 crewmembers, five of whom were spotted soon after the authorities launched the search and rescue mission. The crew consists of 9 Ukrainian citizens, 2 Russian citizens and one citizen of Georgia.

The rescue teams aboard a number of rescue vessels are continuing their search for the remaining crew in the area, however, the efforts are being hampered by severe weather conditions at the site.

The 2,850 dwt ship reportedly split in two and sank due to inclement weather at around 4 am local time some 14 nautical miles off the coast.

According to AIS data provided by MarineTraffic, the 1980-built cargo ship was sailing from the port of Azov, Russia. EMERCOM informed that the vessel, which was loaded with a cargo of grain, was on its way to Turkey.